New Delhi, March 16: As a sport, football is more about passion than money. But money is a big motivator in all sports and games worldwide. And football is no exception.
The top five most-paid footballers globally are:
- Cristiano Ronaldo: The Portuguese footballer is among the greatest footballers of all time with 5 Ballon d’Ors, as many UEFA champions, and one Euro Cup with Portugal’s national team. He is earning 3.4 million euros per week.
- Neymar Jr do Santos: The Brazilian star has been among the topmost-paid footballers because of his looks and football skills. He is currently playing for Al Hilal FC in Saudi Arabia, earning 1.7 million euros per week. He joined Al Hilal in 2023.
- Karim Benzema: The French footballer started making a huge salary after his transfer from Real Madrid to Al Ittihad in Saudi Arabia in 2023. He is being paid 1.6 million euros per week and is among the most decorated footballers with one Ballon d’Or, five Champions League, four European Super Cups, as many Laliga Cups and Spanish Cups, and three Copas de Rey.
- Kylian Mbappe: The French youngster rose to fame after winning the 2018 World Cup with the French national team at the age of 19. He is currently playing for Paris Saint Germain FC and earning 1.2 million euros per week; and
- Lionel Messi: The Argentine star is now playing for Inter Miami FC in the USA. He is currently earning 750,000 euros weekly. Messi is among the greatest footballers of all time as he has won every cup or tournament that he played for. He has won 34 trophies with FC Barcelona including 4 UEFA Champions League, 7 Copa de Rey, the 2021 Copa America, and the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Besides these, other footballers make more than 500,000 euros per week from football, including Sadio Mane, Riyadh Mahrez, and Ngolo Kante.